Furniture base



Dec. 21, 1965 BECKMAN ET AL 3,224,719

FURNITURE BASE Filed Dec. 21, 1962 INVENTORS VOA/4L0 BEG/(MAN FOO/V57 KHA TAMI/(A Arra/PA/a a United States Patent Miller, Inc., Zeeland,Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 254,532 8Claims. (Cl. 248163) This invention relates to furniture. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to a base for tables and the like.

Many types of furniture bases are presently in existence. Bases forunits of furniture, such as tables, must exhibit considerable strengthbecause of the weights which may be imposed upon them. In many cases,the weight of the top itself is considerable. However, it is oftendesirable to provide bases having great strength, yet being of simpledesign and fabrication.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a base for a unitof furniture exhibiting exceptional strength.

A further object of this invention is the provision of such a base whichis simple. in design and easily fabricated from component parts neithercumbersome nor bulky.

A further object of this invention is the provision of such a baseexhibiting the above characteristics, being durable in function andunique in appearance.

Other objects of this invention will become obvious to those skilled inthe furniture art upon reading the following specification, inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a base for a unit of furniture embodyingthe principles of this invention, a table top mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

Briefly, this invention relates to a base for a unit of furniturecomprising a generally H-shaped floor-engaging member. A generallyH-shaped support is positioned above this member and lies in a planeparallel to that of the floor-engaging member. The support is turnedninety degrees with respect to the floor-engaging member and elongatedconnecting rods extend between the ends of each leg of the member to theends of each leg of the support positioned generally thereabove.Additional elongated connecting rods extend from generally each end ofthe connecting bar of the member to generally the ends of the connectingbar of the support.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 1designates a base embodying the principles of this invention. In theembodiment shown, a transparent table top 2 is mounted thereon.

The base 1 includes a pair of identical floor-engaging members 3 and 4,each of the members being of generally U-shape, the respective bightportions 5 and 6 thereof being secured together in back-to-backrelationship. The floor-engaging members 3 and 4 include legs 7 and 8respectively, the legs being spread slightly outwardly from the bightportions thereof. Spacing means 9 is provided between the bight portions5 and 6 of the members 3 and 4 to eliminate binding therebetween andassure a rigid, positive connection.

Supports 2.0 and 21 are positioned above the members 3 and 4 and are ofgenerally the same construction. The supports 20 and 21 include bightportions 22 and 23 respectively and leg 24 and 25 respectively. Thebight portions 22 and 23 thereof are secured together in back-to-backrelationship, spacing means 26 being provided therebetween. The legs 24and 25 are spread slightly outwardly from their respective bightportions, the

3,224,719 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 legs 23 and 24 being of a lengthslightly longer than the legs 7 and 8 of the members 3 and 4.

It will be seen that the members 3 and 4 provide generally an H-shapedfloor-engaging structure. The supports 20 and 21 provide generally anH-shaped supporting structure. This supporting structure is positionedabove the floor-engaging structure, the two structures lying in planesparallel to one another, the supporting structure turned ninety degreeswith respect to the floorengaging structure. Elongated connecting rods30 extend between the ends of the legs 7 of the member 3 and the ends ofone of the legs 24 and one of the legs 25 of the supports 20 and 21respectively positioned thereabove. Elongated connecting rods 31 extendbetween the ends of the bight portion 5 of the member 3 and one end ofthe bight portions 22 and 23 of the supports 20 and 21 respectivelypositioned thereabove. Elongated connecting rods 32 extend between theends of the legs 8 of the member 4 and the ends of the other legs of thesupports 20 and 21 respectively positioned thereabove. Elongatedconnecting rods 33 extend between the ends of the bight portion 6 of themember 4 and the other ends of the bight portions of the supports 20 and21 respectively positioned thereabove. It is to be understood that theterm rods includes either solid or tubelike members, and the term is notlimited to any particular cross-sectional configuration. The rods 30,31, 32 and 33 are fabricated of a material exhibiting both strength andrigidity. The rods are suitably secured as described between the membersand supports, the rods being bent at their ends (FIG. 3) and insertedinto openings in the members and supports. In the embodiment shown, therods are suitably affixed within openings in the members and supports bymeans of an epoxy glue.

It will be seen that the base disclosed herein is capable of exhibitingexceptional strength and rigidity due to the positioning and functioningof the rods 30, 31, 32 and 33. Loads positioned on any part of the tabletop 2 are distributed through the supports 21 and 22 through the variousrods. Positioning of weight is evenly distributed through the supports20 and 21, through the various rods back to the members 3 and 4, so thata downward force on any one rod causes certain of the other rods to actas tension members, thus greatly aiding the particular rod or rodsbearing the bulk of the weight. Further, twisting of the base of thisinvention is extremely difficult because of the positioning and anglesof the rods for the same reason, namely, a particular force on any onerod or rods is immediately transferred through the supports 20 and 21 toother rods back to the members 3 and 4 which of necessity cause anopposite reaction. In addition to this provision of exceptional strengthand rigidity, this base maintains a simplicity of structure and design,providing exceptional strength even though there is an absence ofcumbersome, bulky components in the structure.

While only one embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed, it may be possible to practice the invention through theutilization of certain other embodiments without departing from thespirit and scope thereof. Such other embodiments are to be consideredpart of this invention unless the following claims specifically stateotherwise.

We claim:

1. A base for a unit of furniture, comprising: a generally H-shapedfloor engaging member; a generally H-shaped support positioned abovesaid member and lying in a plane parallel to the plane of said member;said support turned ninety degrees with respect to said member;elongated connecting rods extending between the ends of each leg of saidmember to the ends of each leg of said support positioned generallythereabove; and elongated connecting rods extending from generally eachend of the connecting bar of said member to generally the ends of theconnecting bar of said support.

2. A base for a unit of furniture as defined in claim 1, the legs ofboth said member and said support spread outwardly from their respectiveconnecting bars.

3. A base for a unit of furniture as defined in claim 2, the legs ofsaid support being of a length greater than the legs of said member.

4. A base for a unit of furniture, comprising: a base member having apair of generally U-shaped floor engaging elements, the bight portionsof said elements secured together in back-to-back relationship; asupport positioned above said member, said support having a pair ofgenerally U-shaped elements, the bight portions of said elements securedtogether in back-to-back relationship; said member and said supportlying in parallel planes; said support turned ninety degrees withrespect to said member; an elongated connecting rod extending betweengenerally the ends of each leg of each of said elements of said memberto generally the end of each leg of each of said elements of saidsupport positioned generally thereabove; and an elongated connecting rodextending 4 from generally each end of said bight portion of saidelements of said member to generally the end of said bight portion ofsaid element of said support positioned generally thereabove.

5. A unit of furniture defined in claim 4, the legs of each element ofeach of said member and support spread outwardly of its respective bightportion.

6. A unit of furniture as defined in claim 5, said elements of saidsupport being identical and said elements of said member beingidentical.

7. A unit of furniture as defined in claim 6, said legs of said elementsof said support being of greater length than said legs of said elementsof said member.

8. A unit of furniture as defined in claim 7, wherein the ends of eachof said connecting rods are bent to perpendicularly enter said supportand said member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT,Primary Examiner.

1. A BASE FOR A UNIT OF FURNITURE, COMPRISING: A GENERALLY H-SHAPEDFLOOR ENGAGING MEMBER; A GENERALLY H-SHAPED SUPPORT POSITIONED ABOVESAID MEMBER AND LYING IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID MEMBER;SAID SUPPORT TURNED NINETY DEGREES WITH RESPECT TO SAID MEMBER;ELONGATED CONNECTING RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ENDS OF EACH LEG OF SAIDMEMBER TO THE ENDS OF EACH LEG OF SAID SUPPORT POSITIONED GENERALLYTHEREABOVE; AND ELONGATED CONNECTING RODS EXTENDING FROM GENERALLY EACHEND OF THE CONNECTING BAR OF SAID MEMBER TO GENERALLY THE ENDS OF THECONNECTING BAR OF SAID SUPPORT.